Ami and Yumi
by TheBlueJetpack
Summary: Ami and Yumi are not just band mates, but have been best friends since forever. Although Yumi has usually let Ami be the optimal source of comfort and compassion towards those who need such, will she be able to cast her hard rock exterior aside when a nightmare brings Ami to her bedside late at night?


_A/N: Now how did you get here? __I'm guessing you're either a new or hardcore fan of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi or you came here through me from knowing my previous stories. Or perhaps you were just looking for something new to read and happened to pick this one at random. But I think the more important question to me is how did I get here? _

_I had honestly never even heard of this show until a certain fanart popped up on Twitter and sent many users rolling in nostalgia. I looked at the purple girl and thought, 'Hold on a minute, she looks exactly like Luna Loud from The Loud House.' The aforementioned character is my favourite character from the aforementioned show, so of course, I was intrigued. The resemblance was crazy: the girl in the picture plays guitar, she wears skulls and purple, and ironically, she was voiced by the famous Grey DeLisle. After that, my interest in this show sparked. I found a secret underground cave containing all the episodes from its 3 seasons and I decided to watch some to see what I could find, and I was quite amazed by what I unearthed._

_Like most of the early cartoons, this series faltered in many ways that makes it easy to see why it didn't stand out among others and is virtually forgotten by the world today. The storylines fall flat and the art is too simple and bare. Besides the 2 girls, most of the characters are just generally unlikeable and flat-out forgettable. A rather lazy design, but a good effort given its origins. The one thing that stands out to me however, is the relationship between Ami and Yumi. A bond so strong between polar opposites that it keeps them together through all kinds of tight jams while both possessing clashing viewpoints and interests. THIS is something I absolutely love. _

_I am not expecting ANY kind of reception from this story. I wrote it purely for my enjoyment (as I do with all my stories). But if you read this and enjoy it too, my heart is over the moon. I actually hinted towards this in a previous story of mine titled Forgotten Trust. Bear in mind that I'm not a hardcore fan of the series and my knowledge in Japanese culture is way down the spectrum, so there may be some details and facts that are inaccurate. So, apologies if there are any mistakes._

_I believe you can still enjoy this story without needing context from the show, even though some references to past episodes are used here._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Ami and Yumi

December 2, 2019 – December 7, 2019

Rising like dust on the Western Plains, a large psychedelic bus appeared in the faded distance as it rolled smoothly down the silent road that was the Trans-Canada Highway cutting through the Great Canadian Rockies. It was very late at night with the entire landscape of rocks and forests bathed in the blue-white light of a big shiny moon. The mountains were extremely beautiful at this time, but no one seemed to notice. At least no one on board the bus anyways.

All was quiet outside. Inside the bus, it was equally calm. The world-famous Japanese pop rock band known as _Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi_ was back on the road once more, this time on its way to the landmark city of Banff, Alberta after a concert held in Calgary that had been met with outstanding ovation, as was the norm with every one of their concerts. Now hitting the road again to their next destination with their instruments and equipment secured in the cargo hold, it was night, and the exhausted cast members were catching a few 40 winks before getting up in the morning for rehearsals for their next big gig.

Tour manager Kaz Hirada was fast asleep in his own living quarters with his precious and tattered stuffed rabbit, Senior Whippy Whappy, tucked under his tiny arm, letting the _Puffy Bus _run on autopilot for the night. Even with Kaz's persistent claims that they were constantly running on a tight budget, the bus and the band were stocked with enough money to equip the three inhabitants and their pets with just about everything they needed thanks to the girls' success and the manager's thrifty spending habits.

Ami and Yumi really only had Kaz to get past if they ever wanted something that they couldn't buy themselves, but it didn't really bother them all that much. Kaz, though greedy and cunning, was well-meaning enough to look after his two clients and served as a suitable enough father-figure to them, though if we're really going to be honest here, it usually ended up with the teen girls trying to keep their tour manager in line from doing something incredibly stupid. Nothing wrong there, whatsoever. Besides, after the incident with Slick Shady, the girls knew very well that Kaz needed them just as much as they needed him. And more importantly, he had learned this lesson too.

If that defined the bond that the girls had with their manager, then the bond they held with each other was colossal times more impressive. The two young Japanese pop stars stuck together like glue as if their heart strings were connected as one. Though extremely different in tastes, interests, and looks, there was nothing that could separate the happy-go-lucky, peppy, cheerful, 15-years old girly girl and the cynical, sarcastic, get-to-the-point, skull and spike-donning 14-years old punk rocker that were Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. Friends since early childhood and now band mates on constant world tour, the pair of polar opposites worked spectacularly as a team and always had each other's back. It had always been like this. If Yumi was sick, Ami was right by her side, tending to her friend until she was all better. If Ami was being picked on by a bully, Yumi would introduce the clown to her spike-armoured fist before making it clear that no one ever harmed her best friend.

Of course, no friendship was a cereal bowl of complete sunshine and rainbows; there had to be some storm clouds in this mixture from time to time. Even for Ami, who saw ways to turn negatives in the world to positives far better than Yumi. Ami would become annoyed with Yumi's gross and blunt habits or her fierce insensitivity to others' feelings whenever her selfish side decided to take an occasional spin with the wheel. Equally, Yumi would be bugged by Ami's girly attitude and her childish impulsiveness to befriend anyone, friend or foe, not to mention her ways of letting serious matters slide before they became bigger problems. But despite the clashes of different viewpoints that the girls often faced, not to mention the bumps and trials they met while traveling the continents in world-wide fame, they each maintained an iron fist of loyalty and a deep trust for each other. And together, they were happy. Very, very happy.

* * *

In the deathly slow passing minutes of the night, Yumi Yoshimura lay half-asleep in her bedroom situated at the south end of the bus; she lay on her back in a cozy bed with a warm blanket donning her favourite shade of purple. Her skull-embroidered night gown was as jet black as the darkness she was engulfed in, save for the moonlight streaming through the windows. Her mind was hovering at the midpoint between being awake and entering fairy-tale dreamland. The only sound to be heard was the low rumbling of the _Puffy Bus'_s engine as it travelled the roads down the forested terrain, gently rocking her room in a slow and soothing vibrational pattern. Other than that, all was silent and still.

The indigo-haired girl lazily observed the light from her bedroom window creating shape-shifting shadows that danced upon the adjacent wall, her eyelids becoming rather heavy as she tried her hardest to go to sleep. But nothing seemed to be working. Above her head at the ceiling was her little skylight; through this smaller window, she could see the dark sky filled with millions of stars; a whole collection of sparkling white jewels on display for her, fully unmasked thanks to the absence of neon billboards and skyscraper lights. A drastically different environment to what she was used to, having grown up in the metropolitan urban paradise of Tokyo, and spending many months performing before screaming crowds in the world's most dazzling cities and the occasional African savannas, abandoned towns of the Old West, and lost ancient jungles inhabited by hordes of man-eating alligators.

Yumi very rarely got to see the sky like this; in fact, this was one of the very few times when her mind was this peaceful, matching the serene world around her. Normally, she would be found rocking out on her guitar, pacifying crowds demanding her autograph, yelling at Kaz to smarten up for once, or fighting a mob of pesky ninjas, but here she was, as silent and still as a fresh leaf that had fallen peacefully from its branch to land upon the grass with the lightest touch and barely a sound. And perhaps it was her yearning to admire this view of the starry sky for just a little longer that was preventing her from sleeping.

But she had to sleep. She and Ami were scheduled to play at a big concert in two days and she needed to devote all her energy tomorrow for rehearsals, which meant all the more reason for her to get as much shut-eye now as possible. She had counted sheep. She had counted guitar picks. She had tried to relay an entire baseball game in her mind, hoping to bore herself to bits before the ninth inning. She had already listed off the names of every record she and Ami had sold in the last year and even tried singing herself the old lullaby her mom used to sing to her in her infant years. Nothing worked.

Yumi felt a sharp pang of sadness pinch her in the gut as a fleeting memory surfaced her barely-alive mind; her mother had passed away many years ago, leaving only her, her dad, and her older sister Yuki. It had been a tough decision to sign that contract and agree to travel the world as a rockstar, but she had known that her ambition to be a famous performer wasn't going to launch and soar if she had stayed in Tokyo, and the money she would make while on tour would be bountiful enough to provide for her family, even if she didn't get to see them very often. Yumi wondered if Ami felt the same way. Both her parents were still alive, as were her 10 brothers, yet she didn't get to see them all that much either. Yumi often pondered whether Ami missed them as much as she missed her dad and sister from time to time, or if her friend was happy to get away from such a large family. She didn't know. She had never asked.

The girl believed she had a very good life, regardless of whatever challenges she faced. After all, she was living her dream. She was a star. A celebrity. She had a million fans who worshipped her and her contract basically stated that she could see the entire globe all the while belting out her talent for the world to eat up, and she loved every bit of it. Of course, there was the huge amount of stress that went along with this deal. She had little free time for herself outside of the concerts, as her afterhours were long spent on rehearsals, sound recording, public appearances, and all the works. Life as a pampered rockstar was no easy picnic, as one could tell from the band's many battles and adventures whist taking each global trot by storm. But Yumi was a tough girl. She could handle anything. She had survived being stranded out at sea, a rampaging avalanche, and a trio of talent-absorbing vampires of all things. Still, life as a travelling rocker could not help but strangle her brain and sanity at times.

The sound of her bedroom door creaking open and a change in light edging into the darkened room suddenly broke her thoughts, awakening her mind. Being a celebrity had granted Yumi a high sense of alertness and she immediately got ready to face the intruder. But in the faint light of the moon, she could just make out a figure with vibrant pink hair and a pale pink nightgown with a familiar yellow flower embroidered on it. She dropped her defensive instincts and relaxed as her visitor approached her bedside and stood there, just staring at the still figure that was Yumi, probably thinking she was sleeping. It was someone Yumi knew very well.

"You okay?" Yumi asked, breaking the silence with her raspy voice.

Ami was quiet for a minute before speaking in barely a squeak. "I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you tonight, Yumi? _Pleeeeeeease?"_ she begged in that pitiful girly girl voice that Yumi would chew the gum off her boot before ever using.

Now, it was obvious that Yumi wasn't exactly the affectionate type of girl, being far less 'touchy-feely' than her best friend was, both physically and mentally; learning how to evade mobs of crazed fans over the years had nailed in a very solid mindset to avoid grabby hands and warm bodies. Ami, however, was an exception. If Ami ever needed an arm around her or a shoulder to sob upon, Yumi would be there, with only the slightest twinge of reluctance to do so that stemmed purely from her high reputation as a super cool, no nonsense girl. Tonight, although she felt a tiny unwillingness to share her bed, she could see that her friend needed her right now.

And she would do anything for Ami.

"Well, don't catch a cold just standing there," she flatly stated, sliding over to the left side of the bed to give her some room.

Ami squealed, making Yumi's ears cringe just a bit. "_Arigat__ō_, Yumi!" she said happily as she scurried beneath the covers, reappearing next to her friend to give her a very tight hug.

"''ur welcome," the rocker managed to muffle out, a tad winded as she felt Ami squeeze her. The pink-haired girl let her go and settled in her half of the bed. Since she hadn't brought a pillow of her own, that meant Yumi also had to share hers. Yumi didn't mind too much, though.

A very small gap of space stood in between the girls as they lay in Yumi's bed, neither of them saying a word as each occupied half of the pillow. Although the punk rocker was still a bit uneasy about comforting Ami through this method, she felt content to have her best friend by her side, both figuratively and literally. Another moment of silence passed before Yumi remembered the reason Ami was here in the first place. Providing comfort and kindness for someone who was feeling sad was not exactly her specialty, even though she felt it all the time for Ami. But since Ami never failed to bring peace to her conflicted mind at times when Yumi herself was in distress or feeling blue, she felt she could return the favour by following Ami's examples. Usually, the her friend talked things through with her recipient. She could start there.

But before she could say anything, her attention was drawn to the fact that Ami was shivering slightly. "Hey, are you cold?" she asked. She watched Ami nod slightly.

"A little," she said in a small voice.

Yumi almost didn't hesitate this time as her protective instincts for Ami momentarily kicked in. The first thing she did was to remove her spiked choker around her neck and deposit it on the bedside table. "Come here," she said, her tone light and inviting as she gently pulled Ami in a warm embrace, closing the gap between them. The shivering girl lost no time in snuggling right up to her, burying the side of her face into Yumi's chest, an action that would be rather impeded had the choker been there to poke at her head. For a little while after that, the girls simply lay there cuddling, wrapped in each other's arms, both feeling warm and safe. It had been a long, long time since Yumi had done anything like this; her last foggy memory being that of her sister Yuki sometimes hugging her in this exact position when she decided to have a nap with her. And although she could never find it in herself to admit it, Yumi missed this greatly. Just the thought of her big sister's affection inadvertently caused her to hug Ami closer. Little by little, Ami's shaking slowed until at last, she stopped completely.

"Better?" Yumi asked, permitting a small smile to grace her face.

Ami smiled too. "Yes." She shuffled her body up a little to rest her head comfortably on her friend's shoulder, settling in contently. Yumi didn't say anything, but she always felt immensely proud whenever she was successful in cheering Ami up. She valued this feeling almost as much as she liked the feeling of her friend's head propped upon her shoulder, even if it meant a little cuddling, something she definitely would never do with anyone unless they were very close to her. Ami happened to be one of them.

Now that her friend was more comfortable, Yumi thought back to what her initial plan had been and decided to proceed in figuring out why Ami had come to her in the middle of the night. The girl had had nightmares before, but usually she would cuddle Tekirai, pour herself a glass of milk, or ask Yumi to sit by her bedside until she fell back asleep, which the latter never failed to do. But for some odd reason, this was the first time she had chosen to ask if she could stay with Yumi following a nightmare. Time to find out why.

"So, um, what did you dream about this time? Did the world run out of Chocolate Yummy-O's?"

Ami shook herself slightly. "No...thank goodness."

"Did you get attacked by crazy zombie plants again?"

"No."

Yumi was running out of ideas, and gave up guessing. It _was_ late after all, and she needed to sleep. They both needed to. Better hurry this along. "Well, what was your nightmare about, then?"

Ami was quiet for a few moments. Yumi said nothing as she kept her arms around her, holding her close. At last, Ami tilted her head up to meet Yumi's eye.

"Yumi? We're friends, right?"

The punk rocker teen stared at her and frowned as if that was the most obvious question in the world, which of course it was. She knew that.

"Duh. Of course, we are."

Ami kept her gaze fixed upon her.

"And…I'll always be your best friend, right?"

Yumi scowled; that question was almost as ridiculous as the first. But before she could utter a typical snide remark for this, she noticed something; in the dim light of the moon streaming through her window, she could see Ami's face. She looked…sad. Almost hurt on the inside. Yumi wasn't very good at reading the minds or emotions of others, but the bond that she and Ami shared was so tight that she knew her friend inside and out. For this reason, she could see that there was something off-putting about the girl beside her that just wasn't right. It was one of the few times where her reality regulator caught her tongue just in time and tell her that her snark and sarcasm weren't going to help at all. A much different tactic would, one that called for gentleness and kind words, and although this wasn't at all what Yumi was used to doing, she would do anything for Ami.

She gently removed one hand off of Ami's back to instead stroke her shoulder. "Ami, what's the matter?" she prompted soothingly, her raspy voice as smooth as velvet. "You can tell me."

The girl, normally so cheerful and bouncy, was not looking her usual self at all as she glanced up to meet Yumi's gaze, the latter hoping to get her friend to explain what was making her feel so broken inside.

"But you'll think it's stupid," Ami mumbled pitifully.

"No, I won't," Yumi promised. Knowing very well why Ami would think this of her, she took a moment to compose her words carefully. "Look, I know I'm a real bad girl, and tough as nails, and, you know…a jerk sometimes. But for you…I'll do anything, Ami. That's what best friends do for each other. We tough out together. And right now, I want to make you feel better."

A tiny smile surfaced upon Ami's face at these words and she gave Yumi a little nuzzle. "You already are," she murmured so quietly that Yumi wouldn't have heard her if she weren't snuggled so close. "It was my nightmare," she explained at last, her voice sounding so despairing that it was impossible for Yumi not to feel sorry for her. "I dreamt…that you said you didn't want to be friends with me anymore."

Yumi's mind froze, not expecting that at all. "Wh-what?"

Ami blushed furiously. "I know it's so dumb," she said, feeling very embarrassed. "But in my dream, you announced that you were tired of being a part of the band. You told me you never wanted to be my friend anymore and that you were going to start a solo career without me in your life ever again. You packed everything and just left, even after I begged you to stay. Oh, Yumi, I know it wasn't real…but it…_felt_ so real."

Ami's voice was breaking and tears were pooling in her frightened eyes as she strengthened her grip around her dear friend. Yumi, meanwhile was staring in shock and disbelief at the poor girl. "Ami…"

But the girl had huddled right into Yumi's chest, quivering, not wanting to let go. The shaking she was now making were no longer from being cold, but from her sorrow. With her face buried deeply in the fabric of Yumi's nightgown, the sobs she elicited were completely silent as she wept, wanting to hold onto her friend as if she were afraid that she would disappear just as her nightmare had told her. It now became clear to Yumi why Ami had come running to her following this particular nighttime disturbance. She hadn't come because she wanted comfort. She had come because she wanted _her._ She was afraid of losing her.

All was quiet, save for the low rumble of their bus trekking the lonely roads through the mountains, as Yumi held her best friend close to her heart, listening painfully to her faint whimpers while she thought deeply over her next move. Although Ami was technically older than her by about a year, Yumi often shielded Ami under her wing as a protective older sister, never failing to jump in to her rescue when she needed it most and frequently served as the more sensible of the duo when caught in a jam. Yes, there were plenty of times when it was Ami who would seize control of the situation while Yumi played the role of the careless risk-taker, but more than anything, Yumi just wanted to protect Ami and make sure nothing bad ever happened to her. And now was no exception.

Yumi lifted her hand to run her finger gently across Ami's tear-stained cheek, speaking in a slow, careful voice. "Ami. Ami, listen to me, please. I can tell you right now that that will never _ever_ happen."

Ami slowly lifted her mournful face to look up at her friend. The faint light of the moon barely lit up her features, but it was enough for Yumi to see that she wasn't convinced.

"Ami, you're my best friend…and you will _always _be that. _Nothing_ will ever change that. _Nanimonai." _

She shuffled her body a little to secure her warm, loving hold around Ami and look at her right in the eye. "Remember that concert in Spokane, where I messed up and thought we were in Palmdale?"

The pink-haired girl looked at her with a confused expression and slowly nodded her head.

Yumi continued. "And when we got back to the bus, I went to bed all grouchy, complaining about being in a group, and then the next day, I was all sunshine and rainbows, and wanted to make breakfast for you and Kaz?"

Ami nodded again. "Yeah, I do…you were acting so weird…but what does this have to do with anything?"

Yumi smiled. "Everything. I'm going to tell you about a little nightmare _I _had that changed me for good…"

* * *

As the _Puffy Bus _cruised down the silent highway through the Rockies, the teen rockers lay in Yumi's warm bed, never letting go of each other as Yumi relayed her tale to Ami; her own dream in which she had seemingly been granted a lofty wish that she had never joined _Puffy AmiYumi _in exchange for a solo career filled with luxury and without the burden of having to do labourious tasks for a team. But along the way further in the dream, she had discovered the miserable lives that Kaz and Ami had fallen into as a result, the latter reduced to a homeless accordion-playing busker in the dirty alleyways. And in true nature to it being all a fantasy, this may had been exaggerated to an extreme, but it had certainly opened Yumi's purple eyes to one undeniable constant: she could never be happy as a celebrity if she didn't have her friends by her side.

Yumi knew that the entire dream didn't need to be a dream to tell her that this stood true in reality.

* * *

"…and that's why I never complained about being in the band again," finished Yumi, a wide content smile rising across her face at the memory of her wonderful discovery of how much her two band companions truly meant to her. She gazed at her friend still wrapped up in her arms. "What I'm trying to tell you, Ami, is that I could quit the band anytime…but I'll never be happy if I don't have you and Kaz by my side. It just wouldn't make being the world's most famous rock-and-roll queen worth it." The indigo-haired girl felt around for Ami's hand beneath the covers and upon finding it, she gave an affectionate squeeze just to let her know she was still here. "You mean so much to me, Ami. We've been best friends all our lives and our friendship is the most important thing to me. Remember the time we got Slick Shady as our new manager?"

Ami nodded.

"With all those fancy things and fancy tour bus and all that money, I told you that I was finally happy. But those 5-star meals, the massage tables, the private hot tubs…it took me a while to realize that they didn't make me any happier than when we under Kaz's management. I mean, all those things were totally awesome, but they're not what makes me _truly _happy."

Ami stared up at her. "Then what does make you truly happy?" she whispered.

Yumi released Ami's hand and stroked her hair lovingly. "It's _you_, Ami. It's always you. Even after we got Kaz back, I finally figured it out: I was still happy even without all the fancy stuff because I had you. And it's still like that now. Traveling the world…rocking out on stage…seeing my name on billboards and in magazines…is only fun because I get to do it with my very best friend. And that's the truth."

Ami gazed misty-eyed at her friend, her heart feeling truly touched by her friend's confession of such profound care for her. There was no subtleness to it whatsoever.

"You really mean that, Yumi? _Sh__ō__jiki ni?"_

Yumi took hold of Ami's hand again, stroking it with her thumb. _"Sh__ō__jiki ni,"_ she whispered in hushed tones, hoping with every beat of her heart that this would be enough to deliver her message to Ami of her importance to her life.

To her relief, Ami began to smile ever so slowly. "Oh, Yumi…I feel the same way! Being in the band with you is the best thing ever because I get to hang out with you every minute of it. I love ice cream sundaes, manicures, and fancy hotel rooms…but I love our friendship more." She pressed her face into Yumi's shoulder again, this time without the tears of sadness. Yumi smiled and returned the embrace warmly. Somehow, she didn't feel so reluctant to have Ami so close to her in her bed now.

The girls cuddled for a little while longer in silence. Ami moved her head off Yumi's shoulder and let it rest upon her friend's chest instead, letting out a contented sigh. Yumi's words of love and assurance could not help but finally calm the storm that had struck her mind following that awful nightmare. It was like her best friend was one with the forces, able to settle the waves and push away the dark angry clouds that had overpowered her brain and had driven her here to seek her presence and comfort. But another worrying thought slowly meshed into her mind, related to this problem. Although Yumi had confirmed to her that their friendship was truly genuine, there was still something that was troubling Ami, prompting her to lift her face to look up at her friend. "Yumi?"

"Yeah?"

"What will happen if…if the band finally ends?" she asked in a strained voice. "No band stays together forever. What if we have no choice and we have to go separate ways?"

Yumi became quiet as she thought this through. She began to feel a little shaken herself at the notion of her beloved band eventually playing its final song and reaching its end. Exactly how long would it be until she struck her final chord on stage and had to say goodbye to her life in showbiz? The very thought started to bring her own tears to her eyes, but she had to be strong. Strong for Ami. What she said next did not come from her mouth…but from her heart.

"I don't know, Ami. I really don't know what will happen to us when it's time to call it quits. But I do this: even if we do have to break up the band…you'll still be my best friend. Always. You know why? Because you and I have been through everything together. You have me no matter what…" Yumi frowned a little as she formulated her words, considering them with great detail. "I don't know exactly what lies ahead in the future, but what I'm saying here is that we'll always have each other. Even if one day there won't be _Puffy AmiYumi_ anymore, there will always be _Ami and Yumi_. Always."

Tears were now streaming down Ami's cheeks, overcome by emotions bubbling at the surface of her throat as she let Yumi's soulful message touch her heartstrings. These were tears not of sorrow, but of joy. Joy in having the most rockin' best friend in the whole wide world right at her side, even after their time was over. Yumi truly was her best friend and nothing could separate those who were made to stick together.

"Yumi…"

"I can't go on without you," Yumi interrupted forcefully, her voice rising ever so slightly with new found strength. "Because I need you! I need your smiles and your upbeat vibes to get my head together and keep me from losing my mind. You're…you're the sunshine in my life, Ami Onuki! You're the one who calms me down when I feel like my life is crashing and I want to tear this bus to shreds! You're the one thing in this darn world that keeps me going. Being a pampered superstar means nothing to me if I can't do it with you. I just…I wouldn't know…" Yumi suddenly shut her eyes and turned her head away in frustration, blinking away the tears that were now trickling down her own cheeks. "Sorry…that was horrible. That came out all wrong. Gah, I'm no good with all this…_mushy _stuff…_kuso_…"

She suddenly felt Ami's hand reach up and run through her shaggy indigo hair. She stopped pouting and turned her head back towards her. She opened her eyes to lock onto Ami's gaze; it was soft and loving, filled with the familiar cheery look that she was so used to seeing from her, mixed with a faint glimmer of sparkle.

"You got it just right, Yumi," she soothed, her voice filled with gentleness and love. "What you said…means so much to me. You're right…we _are _besties and we'll always be that. I never should have doubted our friendship. I promise that I'll never do that again."

She carefully dabbed away at Yumi's tears with her thumb. Yumi was feeling rather foolish for putting up a show like that a few seconds ago, but somehow, she felt oddly better now that it was out of her system; her devoted care and appreciation for her best friend were now released for that friend to finally hear and know. And it felt so _right_…just like the feeling of Ami caressing her face to dry her tears.

"I'll never doubt our friendship either," she whispered. "There's no way I could. You mean too much to me."

Both girls were smiling sweetly at each other as they came together for another warm hug, this one far gentler and more affectionate than the previous hug they had shared. Wrapped in each other's arms, they felt the strength of their friendship swirl through their bodies, sending waves of beautiful energy circulating through their system as they held each other, never wanting to let go. It was more powerful and lovely than the adrenaline that spiraled through their blood when they were performing on stage before the world's biggest crowds; nothing could ever replace or compare to the special magic that they were enveloped in right now. Ami snuggled her face into the crook of Yumi's neck; she could hear her friend's gentle heartbeat slowly putting her mind to ease. As for Yumi, just the closeness of her best friend, the band mate and person in her life who meant so much to her, was all she needed to feel at peace too.

"I love you," Ami breathed into her ear.

Yumi blushed heavily when she heard those words. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she brushed off. But then she stopped; she dropped her gaze and found that her cold hard exterior could not help but melt from the warmth she was feeling right now. "I love you too," she murmured in barely a whisper such that no one except the girl huddled so closely to her could hear her.

The teen pop stars said no more as they relaxed in their combined embrace, both now feeling much better about things, the peace in their hearts restored once more. Yumi gently stroked Ami's back as she concentrated on her steady breathing. She smiled; she may not have been as good at offering comfort and kindness as Ami was…but tonight it seemed that she had done a pretty swell job.

"Hey," she suddenly whispered. "I'm really glad you came to me tonight…I think we both needed this. If you ever want to, you know, stay with me for the night ever again, you don't have to ask. My door will always be open. How's that sound?"

Ami beamed. _"Hai." _

Yumi smiled too. "We, uh, really should try to get some sleep now…we have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Ami was quiet for a moment or two. "Yumi?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you…sing me a lullaby please?"

Any one of _Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi_'s fans would find even the fleeting, passing thought of the cynical, smooth-talking, wise-cracking, rough and tumble, guitar-shredding, rock-and-roll queen known as Yumi Yoshimura singing anything other than the loudest, craziest, and wildest tunes the world had ever invented to be nothing short of flat-out ridiculous. But the girl who had made this special song request wasn't just any fan. She was Yumi's #1 fan. And she was a hundred times more her #1 fan than Harmony. For her best friend Ami, Yumi would sing any song she wanted.

"Sure," she whispered with a smile.

Ami beamed; she pushed her body up slightly to rest her head comfortably on Yumi's shoulder as Yumi kept her arm draped around her friend, caressing her in a slow, calming pattern, preparing to sing for her. Deep inside her body, Yumi's voice box exchanging the voice she used daily for screaming, grumbling, and belting out on stage for one that was surprisingly angelic and melodic, one that had only ever been used once when she and Ami had lulled the _Mini Puffs_ to sleep. Yumi proceeded to sing the same lullaby her mother had always sung to her all those years ago.

_Nennen yo okororiyo__  
__Suya suya to oyasuminasai.__  
__Nennen yo okororiyo _

_Yasashi__ h__ito ni sodachimasu you ni.__  
_

_Kamisama arigatou, _

_Enjeru mo arigatou.__  
_

_Nennen yo okororiyo _

_Mama__ n__o mune de oyasuminasai__  
_

_Nennen yo okororiyo__  
__Suya suya to oyasuminasai.__  
__Nennen yo okororiyo _

_Uruseru__ h__ito ni sodachimasu you ni._

_Kamisama arigatou, _

_Derai wo arigatou.__  
_

_Nennen yo okororiyo _

_Mama__ n__o mune de oyasuminasai._

Yumi had closed her eyes as she finished her song, engulfed by precious memories of her dear mother singing her to dreamland. She opened her eyes to find that Ami was fast asleep, tucked snuggly to her side with a content smile etched upon her face that was enough to tell Yumi that her heart had found peace at last, just like hers. Yumi gently caressed Ami's back as her mind slowly began to wander in reflection.

She thought back to all that had been filling her head earlier that evening. Her life was pampered. But it was also crazy. It was beyond stressful being famous. But she knew that she had driven a staple that would never be lifted: no amount of fame, fortune, or lifetime supply of Pink Palace Cheeseburgers came even close to the happiness and joy she felt when she was with her best friend. It was a simple fact that her wild life of being a teenage rockstar often tried to distract her from…but after tonight, Yumi vowed that she would double her efforts to never let that happen again.

She placed her hand upon Ami's sleeping head, stroking her pink mane lightly as she listened to her friend's peaceful breathing pattern, feeling her chest rise and fall soundly with each breath. Yumi smiled; she no longer minded letting Ami cuddle up to her if she ever wanted to again. In fact, she secretly hoped they could do it again very, very soon. For now, Yumi decided to simply enjoy this while it lasted. "_Oyasumi to amai yume_," she whispered to her. She leaned her face down to gently kiss Ami on the forehead, something she had never done before. She then snuggled Ami to her chest as closely as she could, enjoying the warmth before finally surrendering to the world of dreams herself.

As the _Puffy Bus _continued on through the moonlit night, Ami and Yumi lay in a blissful slumber. Held in their embrace, the pop rockers stayed with each other undisturbed for the night, united not by their arms around each other, nor the _Puffy AmiYumi _contracts they had signed with Kaz at the start of the tour, but the one thing in the world that they shared and valued the most: their solid bond of everlasting friendship.

**THE END**


End file.
